Wrapper



jsept. 3, 1940.

G. R. EICHBERG ET AL WRAPPER' Filed nay 9, 195sI A |NVENTOR5 Patented Sept. 3, 1940 PATENT OFFICE WRAPPER Glenn R. Eichberg and Stephen M. Kerrison, San Francisco, Calif.

Application May 9, 1938, Serial No. 206,798

2 Claims.

Our invention relates to wrappers of sheet material, such as Cellophane; and the broad object of the invention is to provide means whereby such wrappers may be easily opened.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of our invention. It is to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to this disclosure of species of our invention, as we may adopt variant embodiments thereof within the scope of the claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a package having a wrapper embodying the improvements of our invention;

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the tear strip partially removed.

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a modled form of Wrapper; and

Figure 4 is a similar view showing the tear strip partially removed.

In terms of broad inclusion, the wrapper of our invention comprises a sheet off material, such as Cellophane, having an integrally formed tab for initiating a tear strip to open the wrapper. In one form of our invention the wrapper sheet is sealed along overlapping edges with; the tab projecting freely from a sealed edge. A marker is permanently secured, as by printing, to the surface of the package under the tab; the marker being visible through the transparent Wrapper for identifying the tab. In another form of the invention the .tab is formed by cuts in the body of the sheet; and in this structure a strip is preferably cemented over the tab to seal the cuts and to provide means for lifting the tab.

In greater detail, Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing show a wrapper 2 about a package 3, which for example may be a cigarette package. The wrapper is preferably a single piece of sheet material, such as Cellophane, sealed along overlapping edges 4 preferably running longitudinally of the package, and closed at the ends by folded flaps 6. Any Suitable adhesive 8 such as pyroxylin cement, may be used for sealing edges 4 and flaps 6. If desired the sealing edges 4 may be disposed to run transversely about the package, but longitudinal arrangement is preferred because a smaller amount of sheet material is required than when the edges 4 run transversely. In the latter case the closure aps 6 would be at the sides, and for an ordinary cigarette package this would require from one to two square inches more material in the wrapper. The longitudinal arrangement of sealing edges 4 also has an advantage in opening the wrapper, as hereinafter described.

In order to facilitate opening the wrapper, we provide a tab 1 formed integrally with the wrapper sheet and projecting freely from the outer sealed edge 4. For convenience in grasping the tab, the edges 4 of the wrapper are preferably disposed along the side wall to position lo the tab adjacent an edge of the package; the tab preferably projecting slightly beyond the edge. By pulling this tab, portions of the Wrapper are torn out in the form of a tear strip 9, as shown in Figure 2. `The adhesive 8 splits 15 to separate the tabbed edge from the underlying edge, and strip 9 continues to tear out transversely about the package. Since the tearing edges do not maintain their parallelism, but tend to come together, the wrapper is designed o to keep the tearing edges apart as long as possible to insure tearing out a strip long enough to encircle the package. For this purpose the base of tab 1 is made quite wide, say about two inches for an ordinary cigarette package. This is more than two thirds the length of the package, and gives sufficient starting width for the tear strip.

We also preferably provide outwardly curved cuts Il penetrating into the body of the wrap- 30 per at the base of the tab for directing the tear outwardly to give a still wider spread to the tearing edges. As a result of these features the tear strip 1 will run completely about the body of the package. A

Since Cellophane is transparent and also quite thin, the tab `I is diicult to see. Means are therefore provided for marking the position of the tab. For this purpose a suitable marker I2 is permanently secured, as by printing, to the surface of the package under the tab. Beo cause of the transparency of the wrapper, the marker is clearly visible through the tab to identify it. 'Ihe marker is preferably the shape of the tab and is preferably a bright color, such as red, to attract attention to it. An appropriate word such as pull with an associated arrow may also be embodied in the marker. If desired, the tab may be further marked by embossing the tab itself. 50

Figures 3 and 4 show a modified Wrapper I3 for covering a card I4 on which merchandise, such as handkerchiefs or ties, are mounted. In this type of packaging, the edges I6 of the Cellophane are folded over and glued to the back side 55 of the card. 'Ihe tear strip I1 is preferably initiated by a tab I8 formed by cuts in the body of the wrapper at some convenient point on the face of the package. The cuts may be V-shaped as shown in Figure 3, and are preferably arranged to position tab I8 adjacent an edge of the packp age so that strip I1 tears down across the face.

tear. The lower ends 2l of the tab forming cuts are also preferably curved outwardly to spread the tearing edges of strip I1.

Marker strip I9 is also preferably cemented to the body portions of the wrapper sheet adiiacent tab I8 to seal the cuts, and. thus preserve the hermetically sealed closure provided by the Cellophane wrapper. Figure 4 shows the area of cement 20 about the cut edges. When an arrow shaped marker strip is peeled oif, the ears 22 of the arrow head often split off and are left on the body of the wrapper, as indicated in Figure 4. A piece of Cellophane having a bright color, such as redl, is preferably used for the marker strip to call attention to it.

Another feature shown in Figures 3 and 4 is the provision of guide lines 23 inside the tearing edges for keeping the latter from coming together. These lines or ridges are formed by applying a. suitable material, such as ordinary eme bossing ink, on the surface of the Cellophane.

'I'his line of ink deposit reinforces the Cellophane sufliciently to prevent the tearing edge from cutting across it, and thus defines the width of the tear strip. By using a colored ink, the guide lines 23 are ornamental as well as useful.

It is also to be noted in Figures 3 and 4 that a cut 24 is preferably made transversely across tab I8 adjacent the apex of the V-shaped cuts to remove a triangular shaped portion of the Cellophane at the tip of the tab. This-spaces the cut edges of the underlying Cellophane and prevents the adhesive from cementing the cut edges together at the tip of the tab, and insures that the tab will adhere to and be lifted up with pull strip I9.

We claim:

1. A wrapper comprising a sheet of material having cuts forming an integral tab for initiating a tear strip to open the wrapper, and an overlying strip having a glued portion cemented to the tab for lifting the latter and having an unglued portion for nger engagement, said glued portion of the overlying strip extending over the entire length of said cuts and also being cemented to the body portions of the wrapper sheet ad-.iacent the tab for sealing the cuts.

2. A wrapper comprising a sheet of material having cuts forming an integral tab for initiating f a portion of the wrapper sheet adjacent the tip 35 of the tab.

GLENN R. EICHBERG. STEPHEN M. KERRISON. 

